REACHING THE LEVEL OF MALACHIM
We have now come to the Day in which we are able to reach the madreiga of malachim. This spiritual level is so high that it is considered possible to achieve only once a year. But, having achieved it, we are hopeful that its effects will stay with us not only throughout the year, but forever, if Hashem will mercifully allow our efforts to succeed.
Since Yom Kippur deals with life and death, I want to consider the life-and-death issues currently facing the Children of Israel. Last week, we addressed the momentous struggle between our primordial enemies, Yishmoel and Esav. Our gadolim have indicated that, in the end, it is not Israel who will neutralize our ferocious enemies, but they will be the ones to neutralize each other! This in itself is a cosmic gift from Hashem, because the job is too big for us.
Since the prospect of a war between Yishmoel and Esav is so frightening, I want to emphasize that there is strong reason for us to have courage at this time in history. As Dovid Hamelech says, “Let a thousand encamp at your side and a myriad at your right hand, but to you they will not approach. You will merely observe and see with your eyes …. the retribution of the wicked. Because [you said], ‘Hashem, You are my refuge’ …. no evil will befall you!” (Tehillim 91)
Where do we see a makor for this momentous promise?
Very simply, the fact that we as a nation have survived world conflagration before!
We as a nation survived the total collapse of Mitzraim 4500 years ago. We were ensnared in Mitzraim as we are ensnared in the surrounding culture today, yet Mitzraim was destroyed in order for us to stand at Har Sinai and receive the Torah.
And so it will be this time, with Hashem’s great mercy!
Having said this, I would like to present to you my assessment of how this is playing out in our current world. I believe that we are already seeing the modern equivalent of the Esser Makkos, which are wreaking havoc in the surrounding culture and causing its destruction.
- BLOOD: General violence. The civilization of Edom/Yishmoel is covered in blood. There is a general culture of violence, for example, school and public shootings and assassinations, defunding of the police. There will almost certainly be more violence as the culture declines and chaos increases. Those who represent rational causes are likely to be killed as violent elements become more brazen.
- FROGS: Noise pollution. The frogs made the Egyptians crazy with their noise. This is an increasingly loud culture. People scream at each other and there is the constant wail of sirens, loud machines and deafening “music.” People no longer communicate partly because they cannot hear each other speak.
- KINIM: itchiness to an insane degree. This is ADD/ADHD. People cannot sit still or concentrate. They lose their menuchas ha nefesh because they are constantly jumping. People cannot focus their thoughts, so chaos reigns. If people cannot think or concentrate, there is no seder in the world.
- WILD BEASTS: These are people who practice violence individually as well as governments who are ready to destroy the world through weapons of mass destruction. Their entire focus is on destruction, and they are multiplying throughout the world. Civilized people cannot exist in such a society.
- PESTILENCE: New diseases and plagues that come upon the world. Corona changed the world; people could not leave their homes; they were trapped in place and society ceased to function. Livestock is destroyed by plagues, ruining commerce and threatening man’s food supply.
- BOILS: Terrible diseases and injuries to individuals, in which a victim’s entire life is consumed by medical challenges: people without limbs; people whose bodies are out of control, burn victims, terror victims, victims of violence, people consumed by pain and mental illness, dementia.
- HAIL: Global warming. Climate change which wreaks havoc upon the world. Violent storms, floods, melting glaciers, drought, destruction of worldwide economy. Also violent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis. Entire regions are in fear of catastrophic seismic activity.
- LOCUSTS: Invasion of foreign species which destroy ecosystems, killing wildlife and plants. Also, industrial pollution which blocks out the sun and poisons the atmosphere. Someone who rode a high-speed train in China told me that, four hours before reaching Beijing, passengers were ordered to put on breathing masks because of the hundreds of factories poisoning the air.
- CHOSHECH: The blindness of mankind, which has no idea that their entire civilization is destroying itself. People walk around like blind men, staring into their cell phones, bumping into light poles or being hit by cars, while the world around them sinks into chaos. This resembles the four-fifths (or perhaps much higher percentage) of Bnai Yisroel who refused to listen to the words of Moshe Rabbeinu and perished in Mitzraim.
- BECHOROS: The final catastrophe in which world civilization collapses. This parallels the self-destruction of Mitzraim, after which the Bnai Yisroel who followed Moshe Rabbeinu were saved and made their way to Har Sinai to receive the Torah from the Master of the Universe.
My dear friends, after the Esser Makkos came the Aseres ha Dibros!
May we see this once more in our own days and accept upon ourselves the yoke of Torah, never to be broken! We believe that, this time, our Redemption will be complete and those who cling to Hashem will see a never-ending world filled with kedusha!
“Ki Mi Tzion Taitzai Torah u’dvar Hashem m’Yerushalayim … from Zion will go forth the Torah and the Word of Hashem from Yerushalayim” with the coming of Moshiach ben Dovid and the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdosh soon in our days!
May Hashem have mercy on us and cause us to inherit the day of complete Shabbos and may we all be sealed in the Book of Life!
[the next article will be after Sukkos iy'H}
GLOSSARY
Aseres ha dibros: The Ten Commandments
Bais ha Mikdosh: The Holy Temple
Bechoros: Plague of the death of the firstborn
Choshech: Plague of darkness
Esav: Brother of Jacob, primordial enemy of Israel
Esser Makkos: the Ten Plagues4 in Egypt
Gadolim: great rabbis
Kinnim: plague of lice
Madreiga: spiritual level
Malachim: angels
Menuchas ha nefesh: calmness of spirit
Mitzraim: Ancient Egypt
Seder: order
Yishmoel: Half brother of Isaac, primordial enemy of Israel
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